POUGHKEEPSIE – The Dutchess County Legislature’s Public Safety Committee is working to abruptly end the county’s by removing Automatic License Plate Readers (LPRs), commonly called Flock cameras, which are integral to ARCTIC. After a public forum on the Flock system, the DA and Sheriff agreed to stop using the technology, noting that they were reviewing contracts with Flock to determine how to end the agreement immediately.
Democratic Legislator Chris Drago (D-Stanford) pushed a resolution through the Public Safety Committee on Thursday requiring that any Flock Safety license plate reader camera still installed in Dutchess County after October 25 be covered with opaque, non-damaging material within seven days, and remain covered until it comes down. The full legislature will vote on the proposal on Tuesday.
If approved, county workers will visit each LPR location to perform the “blackout,” then return to physically remove the cameras. Legislator Randy Johnson (D-Poughkeepsie) called the double work a waste. “I manage enormous construction projects, and we don’t have the workers do part of a job and then go back a week later to finish. It’s a tremendous waste of tax dollars that could be used elsewhere.”
“Since Dutchess County deactivated its Flock cameras on September 25, I have called for the cameras to be covered pending their removal, giving residents visible assurance that they are no longer operating,” Drago said in a statement. “With no action taken, I introduced a resolution requiring that any County Flock cameras still standing after the October 25 removal deadline be covered. Covering the Flock cameras is a small act, but an important step toward restoring public trust by demonstrating respect for residents’ privacy and freedom. I urge the County Executive to act now to cover all Flock cameras immediately because privacy is foundational to American democracy.”
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